1665 Melchior Brenneman was born in canton Bern, Switzerland. [1] He was born at Oberdiesbach. [2]
1700 "Melchior Brenneman was one of the four inheritance leaseholders of the Klostergut at Enkenbach, Bayern, Germany together David d"Arm, Jean Migeot and Hans Krayenbühl." [3]
Melchior Brenneman was married to Elizabeth. [4] [5]
1700 Adam Brenneman was born to Melchior Brenneman and Elizabeth. [6]
1717 Three ships arrived in Philadelphia with Mennonite passengers. Melchior Brenneman has been named as being on one of the ships [7].
1717 Melchior Brenneman arrived in Pennsylvania in August of 1717. He warranted 500 acres on 13 Nov 1717 at Conestoga Township, Lancaster County (then Chester County). [8]
Melchior Brenneman settled in Strasburg Twp, Chester County, Pennsylvania. [9]
A history of Lancaster County reports [10]:
One hundred and thirty years ago the Ebersoles, Nisslys, Rootts (Rutts), Heisey's, Good's, and a number of other Mennonite families settled in the western part of Donegal township. The most prominent of all the pioneer Mennonite settlers in the township was Melchior Breneman, a Mennonite minister. He, however, located several miles farther east, and near the river, in the heart of an Indian traders' and Scotch-Irish settlement. The pioneer settlers built their meeting-houses near a spring, and as near the centre of the settlement which adhered to a particular faith. The first meeting-house was built of logs, near a beautiful spring, which feeds Brubaker's Run, upon land belonging to the Goods, and very near the northern boundary-line of Conoy township. Melchior Breneman was the first minister who preached in this meeting-house. The attendance is large and the numbers are constantly increasing. Three years ago the old meeting-house, which was probably the second one which stood there, was torn down and a much larger one of frame built in its place, which can seat comfortably several hundred persons. When the framework of this last building was being raised an unfortunate accident occurred. When the workmen were upon the upper joist, raising the rafters, a support under the girder gave way and precipitated a large number of persons to the ground. One person was killed and several others received severe injuries.
1718 Melchior Brenneman was taxed 4 shillings, 6 pence, Conestogoe Rate. [11]
1719 Melchior Brenneman was taxed in Conestoga, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. [12]
1730 Melchior Brenneman transferred 100 acres each to his sons, Stephen, John and Adam and his son-in-law John Steiner. The remainder of his land he gave to his youngest son, Melchior by will in 1737. [13]
1737 The will of Melchior Brenneman was proved on April 2, 1737 in Lancaster County. The will was written in High German and was witnessed by Hans Caige and Peter Gutt. No executors. Administration granted to Adam Brenneman and Christian Brenneman. [14] [15]. Melchior Brenneman died in Conestoga Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. [16]
1737 Melchior Brenneman died on January 20. [17]
[1] John W. Heisey, "Brenneman Genealogy and Heirlooms," Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 4 (July 1981), 20-22, at 21, no documentation.
[2] Richard Warren Davis, Mennosearch.com Family Notes, Brenneman A6, [Website].
[3] Richard Warren Davis, Mennosearch.com Family Notes, Brenneman A6, [Website].
[4] Richard Warren Davis, Mennosearch.com Family Notes, Brenneman A6, [Website].
[5] Grace N. Rissler Eshleman, "Reader's Ancestry," Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 12 (July, 1989), 34-36, at 36, persons 63.
[6] Grace N. Rissler Eshleman, "Reader's Ancestry," Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 12 (July, 1989), 34-36, at 36, persons 63.
[7] Richard Warren Davis, "Swiss and German Mennonite Immigrants from the Palatine, 1704-1717," Mennonite Family History 13 (1994), 9-16, at 12, based on the tax record in 1717.
[8] William Henry Egle, Pennsylvania Archives, Second Series, Volume 19. (Minutes of the Board of Property, Volume 1) (1890), 622, [InternetArchive].
[9] John W. Heisey, "Brenneman Genealogy and Heirlooms," Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 4 (July 1981), 20-22, at 21.
[10] Franklin Ellis and Samuel Evans, History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with Biographical Sketches (1883), 788, [GoogleBooks], [HathiTrust].
[11] William Henry Egle, Notes and Queries Historical Biographical and Genealogical Relating Chiefly to Interior Pennsylvania, Reprint First and Second Series in two Volumes, Vol. 2 (1895), 132, [GoogleBooks].
[12] H. Frank Eshleman, "Assessment Lists and Other Documents of Lancaster County Prior to the year 1729," Historical Papers and Addresses of the Lancaster County Historical Society 21, No.7 (1916), 155-194, at 165, [HathiTrust].
[13] Recorder of Deeds, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Deed Book E, 290-293, [290], [291], [292], [293], [FHLCatalog].
[14] USGenWeb, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Will Abstracts (Gateway website), A-26, [USGenWeb].
[15] Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Letters of Administration index, [FamilySearchImage].
[16] Richard Warren Davis, Mennosearch.com Family Notes, Brenneman A6, [Website].
[17] Grace N. Rissler Eshleman, "Reader's Ancestry," Pennsylvania Mennonite Heritage 12 (July, 1989), 34-36, at 36, persons 63.
[18] Albert Horwell Gerberich, The Brenneman History (Mennonite Publishing House, 1938), 4-6, [GoogleBooks].
[19] Leo Schlebert and Sandra Luebking, "Swiss Mennonite Family Names, an Annotated Checklist," Pennsylvania Folklife 26 (1977), 2-24, at 7, item 25, [Ursinis_College].